SSC who made it to the finals by defeating CCC in the semi-finals on the first innings are fully represented with the return of their Sri Lanka players from South Africa.
Captain Ranatunga is in great form having finished as the leading run-getter in South Africa's Standard Bank one-day triangular competition with 272 runs (avg. 54.40) and three half-centuries. There is also opening bat Marvan Atapattu, who also had a good tournament averaging 41.25 with two half-centuries. Batsman Mahela Jayawardene and fast-medium bowler Pramodya Wickremasinghe make up the squad from South Africa.
SSC also have the services of two other Test players, left-hander Sanjeeva Ranatunga, who scored a match-winning 151 against CCC, and left-arm spinner Jayantha Silva.
Bloomfield the defending champs, don't carry such luxuries purely due to the fact that three of their Sri Lanka players who went on the South African tour are doubtful starters. Skipper Sanath Jayasuriya is running a temperataure and will make up his mind whether he is playing, only on the morning of the match. Roshan Mahanama is not in the country, and all-rounder Kumara Dharmasena is unable to represent his club because his first commitment is towards his employer's Hatton National Bank (HNB), who are down to play a Mercantile 'A' division match against Commercial Bank on Saturday. The irony of it is that Bloomfield cricket is sponsored by Hatton National Bank.
Tournament committee chairman Carlton Bernadus said that the respective firms have been requested to write to the Mercantile CA and have their matches postponed for the weekend in view of the Sara trophy final. MCA sources said yesterday that Hatton National Bank had not made such a request to them.
Bloomfield will lose not only the services of Dharmasena, but also of another talented young all-rounder Hemantha Boteju, who is also an employee of HNB.
However, Bloomfield coach Somachandra de Silva is quite confident that his team minus the 'big guns' is capable of defending the trophy successfully. ``We have a very balanced side and if we take our catches, we can do it,'' said de Silva. Bloomfield put down five chances in the semi-final against Moors SC which they won on the first innings.
The last occasion SSC and Bloomfield met in a Sara trophy final in 1994-95, the match ended in a high-scoring draw and the title was shared. Since the Sara trophy tournament was given first-class status in 1988-89, SSC have won the title outright three times (last in 1992-93) and shared it twice (1988-89 with NCC and 1994-95 with Bloomfield). Colts (1991-92), NCC (1993-94), CCC (1995-96) and Bloomfield (1996-97) have won it outright once each.
The teams: SSC (in probable batting order): Marvan Atapattu, Aruna Gunawardena, Sanjeeva Ranatunga, Mahela Jayawardene, Arjuna Ranatunga (captain), Hemantha Wickremaratne, Malintha Perera (w/k), Suranjith Silva, Pramodya Wickremasinghe, Suresh Perera, Jayantha Silva, 12th man - Suresh Perera.
BLOOMFIELD (from): Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Ruwan Kalpage, Pubudu Dasanayake (w/k), Naveed Nawaz, Pulasthi Gunaratne, Sampath Perera, Bateesha de Silva, Priyankara Wickremasinghe, Ruchira Perera, S.K. Perera, Tharaka Gunaratne, Sajeeka Abeynayake, Shanuka Dissanayake.
UMPIRES: Ignatius Anandappa and Udaya Wickremasinghe.
Easy for Thurstan
Thurstan College under 17 team beat President's College, Kotte in their second match of this season played at Thurstan grounds recently. S. de Silva and C. Aravinda of Thurstan College scored 157 and 123 respectively.
Thurstan College 393 for 9 in 50 overs: (S. de Silva 157, C. Aravinda 123, D. Premadasa 25, N. Perera 2 for 125, T. Hewamanna 2 for 82)
President's College 238 all out: (C. Chandrasekera 88, P. Kaldera 32, Tharaka 19, C. Aravinda 5 for 34, M. Fiyaz 1 for 33, K. Malik 1 for 12)